Articles

six sigma transportation

How Lean and Six Sigma are Used in the Transportation Industry

Lean Six Sigma is a process management approach applied in many industries, including transportation. It is a collaborative approach that emphasizes eliminating operational waste and reducing process variation. This article will examine how Lean Six Sigma is used in the transportation sector. What is Lean Six Sigma? Lean Six Sigma is a team-focused managerial approach […]

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project management

How Does Six Sigma Relate to Project Management?

Six Sigma is a unique set of techniques that helps companies make their processes more efficient. It enables companies to improve the effectiveness of their production processes with a data-driven approach. Six Sigma is intertwined with project management, as it helps companies complete large-scale projects on time. What is Six Sigma? It is a unique […]

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Why Root Cause Analysis is so Important

Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is one of the most important tasks in the world of Six Sigma, because if you don’t stop the issue at its core, that issue or problem will keep happening over and over again. The goal of Root Cause Analysis is to identify the cause of the problem. Once you identify […]

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Lean Six Sigma Language: A Quick Review of the Basics

When it comes to Lean Six Sigma, acronyms and tools are a staple. The different acronyms and different tools could get confusing if not reviewed frequently — which brings up a good point of continuous education as a form of review as well as progressing forward. Think of reviewing as visiting an old friend and […]

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Image: IKEA and Six Sigma

Six Sigma and IKEA

IKEA is a privately owned global company, but like any other global company, there was the issue of dissatisfied customers with the delivery of products, specifically late delivery and merchandise arriving damaged. IKEA decided to use the Six Sigma DMAIC approach, which stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control. This would give Ikea the […]

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Consistency Breeds Perfection In Business

Six Sigma methodologies focus on improving processes by reducing waste and defects. So in the world of Six Sigma, is multitasking considered bad?  Well it depends. If the computer you are using has a program that is able to execute a few jobs at once, then the answer is no. The reason for this is […]

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root cause analysis

Touching the Surface of Root Cause Analysis

When there is an issue or problem in your business, you don’t want it to linger and cause deeper problems. You want to fix it forever.  This is a job for Root Cause Analysis (RCA) — find the cause, fix it and never allow it to happen again. The Process of Root Cause Analysis Establish […]

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Six Sigma: 5 Whys, Motivation, and What Makes a Great Teacher

Today, we thought we would take a look back at some of our popular Six Sigma posts on 6sigma.us and see what topics instilled inspiration and thought among our readers. Here are just a few of those posts from our archives. Infographic: DMAIC vs. DMADV – What Are The Differences? Check out this colorful infographic outlining […]

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Applying Six Sigma to the Tale of the Tortoise and the Hare

Do you remember one of Aesop’s Fables, “The Tortoise and the Hare”? Long ago, there was a hare that would make fun of the tortoise because he moved so slowly. Then the hare would brag about how he was the fastest around. So the tortoise finally got fed up and challenged the hare to a […]

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Six Sigma DMAIC solves business problem

How Six Sigma DMAIC Can Solve Your Business Problem

Many reasons exist for a business failure but the technique to solve the business problem is not reinvented each time we face problems. The methodology to solve the business problem is merely conceivable through the ‘Continuous Process Improvement’. Continuous process improvement is considered as one of the techniques to react to the business problem or […]

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Six Sigma: The Tools of Life

In Six Sigma as in life, there is one simple way to clear up a problem, and that is to get to root cause of that problem. In other words, instead of treating the symptoms or putting a band-aid on the issue, let’s find out what is causing the issue or problem. One such Six […]

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Root Cause Analysis (RCA): 5 Whys

Root Cause Analysis (RCA): 5 Whys

One of the tools of continuous improvement, the 5 Whys technique can help, for example, with root cause analysis (RCA) when determining how to solve problems. With 5 Whys you look at the relationship of cause and effect. Your goal is to repeat the question “why?” enough times to get to an answer that will […]

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Infographic: Determining Root Cause Through the 5 Whys

The 5 Whys tool is used to determine the root cause of an issue. In the infographic above, we have taken a simple everyday problem of bird waste inside the dogs’ kennels at an animal shelter. The problem is simple enough, but if this doesn’t get dealt with, it can lead to more serious issues. […]

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5 Whys: Can I Get to Dinner on Time?

5 Whys Inspiration Part of the morning routine of coffee and working through a to-do list for the day, the morning network news is always going in the background. We filter out the fluff and our attention is piqued when a story is of significant value or importance. Recently, our attention was drawn to an […]

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